Old Enough to Forget

The Jitters were an odd little band who released two albums during their short career. Their debut dropped in '87 and the single "Last of the Red Hot Fools" was catchy, and I heard it a few times on the radio. A couple of years later they had another minor hit with "'Til the Fever Breaks" and then they were gone. In the early '90s I found both albums on CD, and really enjoyed them - although to be fair, as I sit here I don't really remember much other than the two songs I had heard on the radio way back when. Still, the band left a lasting impression. I was browsing through the bins the other day, and to my surprise I found a sealed copy of the band's self titled album and it was too good to pass up. I'm gonna sit back, relax and revisit an album I've not heard in decades. Ladies and Gentlemen and all points in between, The Jitters. ... a little while later ... Musically, they sounded like Katrina and the Waves and Huey Lewis and the News...

While it's unfair to call them a one-hit wonder, as I'm sure the band's fans will be quick to point out other songs that got radio play, to most people, myself included, that big "hit" was as deep as I ever got into the band. As for their other charting songs, I don't recall hearing anything other than the "hit" on the radio. Let's be clear though, "Walking on Sunshine" is as close to a perfect summer song as there ever was. It's funny - I remember that song from its earlier iteration here in Canada, but not well enough to call out the differences between the original version released in 1983 and the one that became a worldwide hit in 1985. Not too long ago I was in the clearance section and came across a couple of their albums. I figured I could be missing out. Or there could be a reason I'd never heard anything else. Which makes sense on one level, but not on so many others, as most of the bands I love never had a hit, let alo...